Rajnath takes on Cong for calling Modi `Yamaraj'

BJP president Rajnath Singh on Saturday described Narendra Modi as the "most popular" leader and said his party has decided to leave it to the people to give befitting reply to Congress for comparing the Gujarat chief minister to `Yamaraj'.

Singh, the only prominent national leader present at the Gujarat BJP's function in Ahmedabad to celebrate party's foundation day, was felicitated on the occasion.

Singh also praised Modi and compared him to Sardar Patel and Mahatma Gandhi, both from Gujarat.

"It pains when such a successful chief minister is called `maut ka saudagar' (merchant of death). I would like to thank people of Gujarat who gave a befitting reply to those remarks," Rajnath said, referring to Congress president Sonia Gandhi's statement during the 2007 state election campaign.

"They suffered a loss due to this remark but are not relenting. Now, they say that the Gujarat chief minister is `Yamaraj' (God of Death). We do not want to say anything now but people of this country will teach you a lesson with the results of 2014 elections," Singh said.

"If Sardar Patel had not been, there India would not have been united. Mahatma Gandhi had worked for the freedom of the country and now Narendra Modi is the most popular leader of the country," Singh said.

Singh recently inducted Modi into BJP parliamentary board and central election committee. Modi said in his speech on Saturday: "I sincerely thank the BJP president for taking me to the national level. A big heart is required to take such decisions."